欢迎 (welcome) to the Hao Chi Challenge! “Hao Chi” means “delicious” in Chinese, and that’s just what Chinese food is. I can only count on one hand all the Chinese foods I haven’t enjoyed. Food is life in China. A typical greeting, when translated into English, is “Have you eaten?” If you are ever a guest in a Chinese home, expect to eat. A lot. It’s one of the greatest ways to honor someone.
Why the challenge? Why Chinese food? Currently, I am a Peace Corps volunteer in Northwest China, and I am in the middle of my second and final year of service. I absolutely love cooking, but usually when I cook it’s to take a break from the daily rice and noodles of a Chinese meal. I am really excited that I learned to make pierogi in China, but disappointed that I have yet to learn to make more than two Chinese dishes. And as I am always looking to improve my basting and my blogging, I figured that a challenge would keep me up to my elbows in peanut oil and posts.
So without further ado, I give you the Hao Chi Challenge: 283 Recipes to complete by the end of my Peace Corps service. 慢慢吃 (eat slowly/bon appetit)!